Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday became the second-longest reigning monarch in British history, clocking up a total of 21,645 days on the throne.
Only Queen Victoria, the current monarch’s great-great-grandmother, has reigned for longer.
Elizabeth, 85, acceded to the throne on the death of her father on February 6, 1952, and has reigned for 59 years and 95 days plus 15 extra leap-year days, totalling 21,645 days.
She has overtaken George III who reigned for 59 years, 96 days plus 13 extra leap-year days, totalling 21,644 days.
He ruled between 1760 and 1820, although his eldest son acted as Prince Regent in 1811 after his father became mentally unfit. Historians now believe his “madness” was caused by a hereditary physical disorder called porphyria.
Victoria, who took the throne in 1837 aged just 18, reigned for almost 64 years before her death in 1901. Queen Elizabeth II will surpass her record in September 2015.
